Remember?
by Lady Priscilla Violet Regina
Summary: Five years after the war, and Duo is still searching for Hilde, who disappeared without any recollection of the past. He finally finds her working in a record store, and tries to get her to remember him.


Remember?

By: Priscilla Violet Regina

Disclaimer: I don't own them...really! I dare you to sue me...not like you'll get much. I think I have a couple bucks in my pocket, let me check...

The Year: AC 200

"Who were the _Beatles_?" the young man asked, pulling out an old and very dusty album cover. A picture of four teenage heartthrobs in mop-tops adorned it, with song titles on the back. Brushing away loose strands of his meter-long, dark brown braid, he handed the record to the shop owner, who had just come walking up.

Duo Maxwell was astonished. Normally these shop owners were men, not attractive young women. At least it wasn't like this in the Colonies. Earth was an entirely different story. Since the war was over, the Colonies tried the best they could to stay peaceful, but every couple days there was always news of some gun or weapon being found...once, even, there was a mobile doll parked in someone's backyard. "Idiots," he said under his breath as he watched with violet eyes shimmering in intrigue while she examined the album.

"It says here," she pointed and leaned closer to the man dressed like a minister. "That this was made in 1964. Wow...1964. That was a long time ago. The Colonies weren't even thought of!" she exclaimed, blowing a few blue-black strands of her own hair out of her eyes.

Duo was too busy staring to notice she had stopped talking-not that he was listening in the first place-but looking over all of the young woman's petite features.

Her eyes were dark violets in a meadow of daisies, almost the color of her hair, and shining just as much. She smiled sweetly as she observed him watching her, and felt the blood rush to her cheeks and nose. 'Why does my nose always turn red when I see a...' she looked down, ashamed. 'A hot guy...' she finished her thought.

Suddenly, she felt her chin being lifted up, and glanced forward to see his arm outstretched, and hand under her jaw. His face was serious, but as soon as their eyes met he broke out in a devilish grin, tossing his braid over his shoulder and putting his hands behind his head. She had seen him before...but...where?

"So...you own this place? Kind-of surprising since you're a..." he broke off and leaned over, closer to her face. She found herself fixed by his gaze and friendly, carefree smile, and forgot everything else.

Finally, he finished his sentence, bringing his voice to just above a whisper. "A...beautiful girl..."

Now, not only her cheeks and nose turned a brighter shade of red, but her ears as well. Her neck hairs began to bristle as she tried to think of a response, but failed. She could only stare into those indigo eyes, full of love, mischief, happiness...and something else. Pain. Mentally slapping herself, she finally was composed enough to speak; but before she could ask who he was, he beat her to it. 

"Come on, Hilde! Don't you have anything else to say? I haven't seen you in five years! Don't tell me you've already forgotten such an unforgettable guy like me, have ya?!" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Have ya?!" he repeated, but this time more gravely.

Hilde's head was swimming. She knew this person, his musical, almost always joking voice, his memorable I'm-the-best-there-ever-was-or-is laugh. And yet, she didn't. She didn't remember even how she became this shop's owner, or what she was doing there. But, most of all, she didn't remember anything before the shop. That's what scared her the most. That's what plagued her dreams, turning them into haunting nightmares. Floating through space, seeing her blood running down her arm, calling out to an unseen protector...all of these horrid memories flooded her mind, and yet she couldn't remember any of them in full. Nor could she recall why it happened. Her psychiatrist had suggested that she was just dreaming, making them up subconsciously. But they seemed so real...and now, seeing this man before her triggered her thoughts as she shuddered violently and sat down, weak in the knees.

"Hey, Hilde...Hilde, what's wrong? Speak to me, tell me what is happening, please! Come on, it's me! Duo!" he exclaimed, crouching down and putting his arms around the weeping girl. "Why are you acting like you don't remember..." the realization suddenly dawned on him. She didn't remember because of the coma. Because he couldn't save her in time. Because he was late. He had to admit, the fight against the Mercurious and Vayate was hard enough, but the fact that she was hurt bothered him even more, and made him take a longer time in rescuing her because he couldn't think straight. His thoughts just kept running to her, drifting through space in a dysfunctional mobile Taurus suit. He always blamed himself for that...she was so eager to help, and he just dismissed it as stupid behavior. But deep down he knew he wasn't angry at her for going on Libra and getting the information for them...he was proud. Proud to know her, proud to be able to say that they were friends. Friends, yet wanting so more...

She had finally stopped crying, and stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, wondering what he was thinking about. 'Duo...' she thought, trying to pull up some buried memory. "Duo....? Duo. Duo!" she whispered at first, then got louder as she started to recall the most important man in her life. He had saved her...he came, like a dark angel, and saved her in her worst hour, fighting against the two Mobile Dolls with the fighting data of a couple of the other Gundam Pilots, Heero Yuy and Trowa Barton, who were considered the hardest to beat. But he proved them wrong. He had defeated both of them, while protecting her at the same time. He was her guardian angel, The God of Death. The God of Death...her love. She knew deep down that she adored him, more than anything else. It was literally love at first sight. Lifting her head, she stared hard into his eyes, which were pouring tears as well. 

"I just wanted you to be safe..." he whispered as she cradled him in her arms. "I am sorry I called you a stupid fool, you were not even close to it. You did the most brave thing I've ever seen. None of us would have done that and even gotten close to surviving," he paused, a smile sweeping across his face. "Except maybe Heero...yeah, I think Heero would be able to do it, but he would have done it so he could fight Zechs, not for us. Although..." but he was cut off by a small finger placed on top of his lips, closing his always extrovert mouth. Hilde smiled, shaking her head in wonderment at how he could take a situation like theirs and turn it into a laugh-a-thon. 

"Alright, chit-chatty, do you mind telling me what you're doing here? What happened while I was in a coma? How did I..." she looked around, raising an eyebrow. "How did I get here? Didn't you have any control over that? You just...disappeared. All of you Gundam pilots did." 

"Um, excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but may I have some help here? I'm looking for an old Beatles record...I don't suppose you have it, do you?" an unfamiliar voice asked from behind her, sounding impatient. Duo covered his mouth to stifle his uproarious laughter, but failed, and started rolling around on the floor, holding his stomach. Hilde turned around, still squatting on the floor, and reached up at the person, a man in his late 40's. He grasped it, pulling her upright, and smiled faintly. Duo finally controlled himself and stayed on the floor, cross-legged, with his hands behind his head and a light smile hovering about his lips. Hilde turned back around, facing him, and raised her eyebrows, holding out a hand. 

"Yes, my love?"

"Duo, I need something," she answered sternly, frowning.

"And that is? Did I do something wrong?"

"Duo, stop playing, I don't have time for it. This man really needs that album you're sitting on. I know, I know, you are very comfortable, but he needs to see it, so you're going to have to get off of it, okay?" Hilde asked, trying the best she could not to laugh. "May I have it, please?"

"And what do I get if I give it to you, Mommy?" he asked in a childish voice.

"May we get on with it, please? I _am_ in a hurry, and I would appreciate it if we could speed this up a bit..."

"Hold your horses, the world isn't going to end if you don't get it right now, is it?" Duo asked, regaining his regular voice again.

"It just might. Please, get off of that record, antiquities should not be treated in that fashion, boy." the man answered severely.

"Oh, well then, that's not good, why wasn't I notified? I am a Gundam Pilot, I'm supposed to be protecting people, not being chastised by impatient older men who have a craving for some band from the 60's, right?" he inquired with a tone of defiance and know-it-all-ism, while getting up and handing the record to the astonished man. "Maybe you don't remember me, but perhaps this will refresh your memory, sir." he pulled out a black baseball cap and donned it, while bending over and keeping his arms up as if someone was holding him up by them. Glancing up and smirking, he asked, "Remember me now?" The man, thinking back to the war and all of the wanted posters, adopted a look of fear and glanced pensively from Hilde to Duo, who was now standing next to her and grinning wolfishly. 

Reaching up to scratch his head, he looked away and stuttered, "Oh...uh... I...uh...see...now...Glad to see you, uh, got away...I guess, sir." Clearing his throat, he continued to stutter until he dropped the record and ran out the door, eyebrow twitching all the way. 

With his arm up on Hilde's shoulder, Duo leaned over to watch him running out the door, and started laughing again. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he pulled her close and pushed his nose against hers, and evil glint in his eyes. The God of Death kissed her briefly, and then whispered, "Let's go home, Hilde. I love you, and I need you in my life. Come home with me, please." She nodded and together, as if one body, they walked out the door to face the world together. Forever.


End file.
